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What do I want?

I was challenged a couple weeks ago to answer the question, “What do you want?”. It wasn’t too tough to reel off a long list of things like a close relationship to God, health for me and my family, protection for my kids, financial freedom, etc., so I was feeling pretty good about the assignment and how quickly I got it accomplished.

I sent it to the one asking (my pastor Jay), and he responded that that was a good list and praised my quickness. Then he modified the question and asked, “What have you wanted all your life?”. Huh? Isn’t that the same list? No. It’s not. As my life has changed, my wants have changed, and what he was asking me was to find out what has been important to me all my life. What are the basic core things I have always wanted. It may soundlike a simple task, but stop and ponder it a moment and you will see that it is pretty hard to nail down. I am struggling with answering the question to be honest.

Of course I want health, happiness, blah, blah, blah. Everyone does. But what are the most important things that would make me truly happy? Most of the things I wrote in my first list were temporal and related to this life. I know there is more than that. How do I remove myself from the plane I am in and think eternally? Here is the quick list modified to some eternal issues:

To feel God close to me

To always hear his voice

To be close to those I love, before and after this life

To be used by God now, and “then” for the benefit of others (which I assume will please God)

To feel at peace, knowing I am doing what is right in God and man’s eyes

This is not an easy process. I do not know what the life after this one looks like in detail. I do know that what I do now will affect that life in some way, but it is a little cloudy (actually VERY cloudy).

Why did he want me to think about this? My guess is that it will help keep me from thinking of this life as my total focus. Wonder if that is it?